Chapter 5
Dax had only been a momentary distraction from her nerves. Now, standing just outside the front door, she dreaded seeing her father. Not because of him, but because of herself, she’d stayed away for too long. This moment could go either way. He could make her feel guilty, or he’d welcome her home. Behind her, Uncle Mike prodded her forward. “Y’all go on in. I got the bags.”
“Okay.” She didn’t move.
“Maggie, ya gotta take a step forward. Can’t just stay out here all night long.”
“Right.” With one hand cradling Hayden, she reached out with the other and turned the door knob. With that first step into her childhood home, her senses were invaded with the feeling of rightness. The smell of cinnamon and the fire burning in the hearth surrounded her. With the high ceilings, exposed wooden beams and plush furnishing, it felt more like a luxurious ski lodge than a ranch house on a farm. To her left was the lone set of stairs that led up to the bedrooms. If only she could avoid this moment and go straight to bed.
“Mike? That you?” Her father’s deep burly voice came from down the hall. No doubt he was in his office even now.
Magnolia cleared her throat. “No, Daddy. It’s me.”
The scrape of a chair and his heavy footsteps sent her heart racing. Then suddenly he was standing before her. In ten years, her father hadn’t changed much, except for the slightly rounded belly and the severe lack of hair on top of his head. He still wore a plaid button down, worn jeans, and beat-up work boots. Standing before her he paused, his bright blue eyes running over her from head to toe. In that moment, Maggie wished she’d taken the time to fix herself up. Maybe if she hadn’t worn her worst pair of pants, she’d feel better about this.
He tilted his head down and in the softest words she’d ever heard him speak, he said, “Now, I spoke to your momma—”
She raised her eyebrows. “You spoke to Mom?”
“She called here after your plane took off. You could’ve called me. I’d always come to get ya. No matter how far, my girl, I will always get you.”
Magnolia’s mother and father hadn’t spoken for longer than she’d been away. Her emotions were too raw to hide her shock, and her father even looked a bit sheepish. “I know it’s been awhile, but yes, I spoke to her, and we both decided y’all should stay here, so you can clear your head.”
Her eyes began to well and spill over. She brushed at her cheek, swiping away the first tear. In all this time, she’d never felt so alone, and here he was offering her exactly what she needed.
Then, as though she were ten years old and just scraped her knee, her father held his arms open wide. His face crinkled in as though he too was fighting back tears. “Oh, baby girl.”
There were some things only a father could do for his daughter, and right now, Maggie’s father was the lifeline she needed. With quick steps, she walked toward him and pressed her face into his chest. His large arms wrapped around her. When she sucked in a breath, she couldn’t stop the sob from breaking past her lips. And just like that, with a sleeping Hayden tucked into her side, she let the dam of tears break in the comfort of her father’s arms.
His evergreen scent gave her the sense of security she’d been searching for all this time. When her legs started to give out, he went down to the floor with her, holding her as she let out every bit of hurt. Everything she’d built was over; everything she’d planned was now gone. The worst wasn’t knowing that it all ended; the worst was knowing someone she’d put her trust and commitment into couldn’t offer her the same in return. How could a man claim to love a woman and yet cheat on her? The saying ‘life could change in the blink of an eye’ never made sense to her until recently. One second, she was married; the next, she was a single mom, with no job, no money, and no way to take care of Hayden.
Tear after tear hit her father’s shirt, soaking it through, yet he clung to her as he ran his hands through his hair. “Shh, it’ll be all right.”
“What am I gonna do, Daddy? I don’t know how to do this. How am I gonna take care of Hayden? What happens now?” The questions she’d been turning over in her mind spilled from her lips one after another. An oppressing weight landed in her chest. For the first time in her life, Magnolia was lost. How long she sat like that, surrounded in his arms, letting every ounce of pent up sadness and stress go, she didn’t know. But when she was done, her face felt tight with dried tears, and the smallest bit of the pressure on her chest lifted.
“I’ll tell ya what we’re gonna do.” Her uncle slammed down the suitcases just inside the door, looking as mad as a rattlesnake. “Invite that son of a bitch here. I got my shotgun and a good place they’ll never find the body.”
She sniffled, then amongst all the heartache she laughed. A tear-riddled, half-sobbing laugh. “No objections here.”
Her father squeezed her tightly and rested his head atop hers. “You just don’t worry now. This is your home, and y’all can stay as long as you want. Hell, I’ll be happy to keep ya forever.” He ran his fingers over Hayden’s hair. “Especially this little man.” He choked up. “Aw, Maggie, he looks just like you.”
Why had she been so scared to come home? Was it because of her father or because she was ashamed of her own behavior? All this time, maybe she never came home not because she was chasing a new life. Maybe she was running from the old one. “Thank you, Daddy. I was hoping you’d say we could stay with you.”
When he looked down at her, she could see the anguish he felt in his eyes. “Magnolia, don’t you know you can always come home?”
Uncle Mike rushed forward and helped her to her feet, which wasn’t easy as she held Hayden. Exhaustion settled in on her, the kind you felt after having a good cry. “I know that now.” Overwhelmed and tired, she couldn’t stifle a yawn.
“Well, for now, why don’t y’all get settled upstairs in your room.” He directed her toward the stairs. “We’ll bring up the luggage.”
When she pressed her foot onto the first step, it creaked in greeting. Maggie was home, and everything would be okay… hopefully.